E-BOOKS Vs. PAPER BOOKS
The digitalization process is
changing many age old concepts
around us. Everything around us
is getting digitalized. Books are
no exceptions. The digital
versions of books are usually
called e-books. Whether these e-books are
taking place of conventional printed version
of books is a burning question for the last
few years. When considering the question of
whether e-readers or e-books are making
books obsolete, it helps to take a look at
what e-readers actually do. As of early 2011,
there were at least a dozen different models
on the market, each with its own specific
features and capabilities.
Some e-readers are devices dedicated to
displaying digital books, newspapers and
magazines. Examples include Amazon's
Kindle, the Sony Reader, Borders' Kobo, and
Barnes and Noble's Nook. Some dedicated
e-readers offer Internet connectivity and
other high-end functionality, but their main
purpose is to display e-books, which they
generally do very well. Other e-readers are
more aptly called tablets. These devices
come equipped with features like Wi-Fi, MP3
support and full-colour touch screen. They
are like laptop computers, but smaller and a
bit more portable. And nowadays you don’t
need a separate e-reader as you can easily
read e-books in your smartphones, laptops
and other devices.
So how one can compare traditional books
to these newfangled gadgets? There are both
advantage and disadvantages of e-books.
The following are some of the advantages of
eBooks over printed books:
* Travel: If you travel a lot and love or
need reading while traveling, e-books are for
you. You know how heavy regular books are,
particularly if you intend to finish one book
while you are out and need to bring another
book with you. E-books allow you to bring a
whole library with you wherever you go. You
can switch between books with ease and the
weight is lighter than a standard paperback.
* Storage: Those who own a lot of books
know how much space they can take up, but
with an e-reader, your bookshelf is located
on a small handheld device, your computer
or on both. This will save you a lot of storage
space and also means you have a backup
online if something happens to your books.
* Price: E-books are often cheaper in the
long run because there are no printing fees
associated with them. In fact, you can often
find free e-books online, whereas physical
books almost always cost you something.
You must remember however, that e-readers
are not free, you are going to spend a good
amount upfront for a device like this.
* Speed: When you buy an e-book, your
reward is instantaneous. Whereas if you
order a book online, you have to wait for it
to arrive before the fun begins.
* Font adjustments: With an eBook, you
can instantly change the darkness of the
lettering or the size of your font. When your
eyes feel strained after reading a paper book
too long, you have little choice but to stop
reading. With an eBook, you can just change
the font size and keep going. This is also a
great feature for those who need large print
books.
* Night reading: If you read in bed, an
e-book may be a good option as many
e-readers come with built-in reading lights.
These are easy to use and won’t get in the
way like the lights attached to actual books
do.
In America e-books topped print sales for
the first time in 2011, a trend that continued
into 2012. A recent study in America found
that the percentage of children who have
read an e-book has nearly doubled since
2010 to almost half of all kids aged 9 to 17,
while the number who says they'll continue
to read books in print instead of electronically,
declined from 66% to 58%.
For those who prefer their books printed
in ink on paper, these data may sound
depressing. But perhaps there is reason to
hope that e-books and print books could
have a bright future together. There's
something about print that one cannot give
up. There is something about holding a book in
your hand and the visceral act of physically
turning a page, that can't be matched with
pixels on a screen.
Books have physical beauty
The beauty and grace which a printed version
of book holds is unmatchable to anything
digital. That does mean that electronic books
can't be beautiful but as a medium, e-books are
still new and designers have yet to fully realize
their potential. But for paper books, the best
designers are already there. As Craig Mod, an
independent New York based writer and
designer, points out in his essay Hacking the
Cover, “the book cover evolved as a marketing
tool. It had to grab your attention from its place
on the shelf. For that reason, the best designed
covers were often beautiful art pieces. Not so in
the digital world.” But for people who truly love
books, print is the only medium that will satisfy
them.
Printed books are collectible
The books which get printed are limited in
number. They possess the quality of scarcity,
which means that your copy is unique on some
level. For readers who truly love a particular
book, an electronic facsimile is not an adequate
replacement for owning a physical copy for
them. You can feel like a king if you own an
original copy of Milton’s Paradise lost or
Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s travels. Whereas
having the e-books or digital versions of these
legendary books will make no difference.
Author Rob Hart says, "There are books that I
need bound and sitting on my shelf. I need a
copy of Fahrenheit 451. That book is important
to me, Digital technology is funny — you own
an e-book, but you don't ... You're
paying for the right to access data."
Books are nostalgic
Books are parts of our lives in
almost every phase. Reading or seeing
the books, bought in our childhood
evokes a sense of nostalgia. Reading a
book after several years of the first
reading often recreates the memory of
that past time.
Paper books do not get replaced by
e-books, because paper books are parts
of the experience which you cannot
reproduce with the digital version.
Though today even writers are not
comfortable in writing with pen and
paper, they also prefer the digital
version of writing.
The “real books” vs. “e-books”
debate may run for eternity. And, like
other types of media, books may also
keep changing formats. But for books, there are
good reasons to prefer the old medium. Paper
books don’t need electricity. You can resell them
or give them away without sparking a battle
over copyright infringement. They can suffer a
coffee spill without completely crapping out. It
is impossible to get distracted by pop-up emails
and other apps while reading a paper book.
Paper books can’t disappear from your library
due to company policy, technical malfunction,
or technology obsolescence. And no matter how
handy an e-book is, it cannot be a part of your
emotional life and perhaps can never evoke the
sentimental memories of past for you.
around us. Everything around us
is getting digitalized. Books are
no exceptions. The digital
versions of books are usually
called e-books. Whether these e-books are
taking place of conventional printed version
of books is a burning question for the last
few years. When considering the question of
whether e-readers or e-books are making
books obsolete, it helps to take a look at
what e-readers actually do. As of early 2011,
there were at least a dozen different models
on the market, each with its own specific
features and capabilities.
Some e-readers are devices dedicated to
displaying digital books, newspapers and
magazines. Examples include Amazon's
Kindle, the Sony Reader, Borders' Kobo, and
Barnes and Noble's Nook. Some dedicated
e-readers offer Internet connectivity and
other high-end functionality, but their main
purpose is to display e-books, which they
generally do very well. Other e-readers are
more aptly called tablets. These devices
come equipped with features like Wi-Fi, MP3
support and full-colour touch screen. They
are like laptop computers, but smaller and a
bit more portable. And nowadays you don’t
need a separate e-reader as you can easily
read e-books in your smartphones, laptops
and other devices.
So how one can compare traditional books
to these newfangled gadgets? There are both
advantage and disadvantages of e-books.
The following are some of the advantages of
eBooks over printed books:
* Travel: If you travel a lot and love or
need reading while traveling, e-books are for
you. You know how heavy regular books are,
particularly if you intend to finish one book
while you are out and need to bring another
book with you. E-books allow you to bring a
whole library with you wherever you go. You
can switch between books with ease and the
weight is lighter than a standard paperback.
* Storage: Those who own a lot of books
know how much space they can take up, but
with an e-reader, your bookshelf is located
on a small handheld device, your computer
or on both. This will save you a lot of storage
space and also means you have a backup
online if something happens to your books.
* Price: E-books are often cheaper in the
long run because there are no printing fees
associated with them. In fact, you can often
find free e-books online, whereas physical
books almost always cost you something.
You must remember however, that e-readers
are not free, you are going to spend a good
amount upfront for a device like this.
* Speed: When you buy an e-book, your
reward is instantaneous. Whereas if you
order a book online, you have to wait for it
to arrive before the fun begins.
* Font adjustments: With an eBook, you
can instantly change the darkness of the
lettering or the size of your font. When your
eyes feel strained after reading a paper book
too long, you have little choice but to stop
reading. With an eBook, you can just change
the font size and keep going. This is also a
great feature for those who need large print
books.
* Night reading: If you read in bed, an
e-book may be a good option as many
e-readers come with built-in reading lights.
These are easy to use and won’t get in the
way like the lights attached to actual books
do.
In America e-books topped print sales for
the first time in 2011, a trend that continued
into 2012. A recent study in America found
that the percentage of children who have
read an e-book has nearly doubled since
2010 to almost half of all kids aged 9 to 17,
while the number who says they'll continue
to read books in print instead of electronically,
declined from 66% to 58%.
For those who prefer their books printed
in ink on paper, these data may sound
depressing. But perhaps there is reason to
hope that e-books and print books could
have a bright future together. There's
something about print that one cannot give
up. There is something about holding a book in
your hand and the visceral act of physically
turning a page, that can't be matched with
pixels on a screen.
Books have physical beauty
The beauty and grace which a printed version
of book holds is unmatchable to anything
digital. That does mean that electronic books
can't be beautiful but as a medium, e-books are
still new and designers have yet to fully realize
their potential. But for paper books, the best
designers are already there. As Craig Mod, an
independent New York based writer and
designer, points out in his essay Hacking the
Cover, “the book cover evolved as a marketing
tool. It had to grab your attention from its place
on the shelf. For that reason, the best designed
covers were often beautiful art pieces. Not so in
the digital world.” But for people who truly love
books, print is the only medium that will satisfy
them.
Printed books are collectible
The books which get printed are limited in
number. They possess the quality of scarcity,
which means that your copy is unique on some
level. For readers who truly love a particular
book, an electronic facsimile is not an adequate
replacement for owning a physical copy for
them. You can feel like a king if you own an
original copy of Milton’s Paradise lost or
Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s travels. Whereas
having the e-books or digital versions of these
legendary books will make no difference.
Author Rob Hart says, "There are books that I
need bound and sitting on my shelf. I need a
copy of Fahrenheit 451. That book is important
to me, Digital technology is funny — you own
an e-book, but you don't ... You're
paying for the right to access data."
Books are nostalgic
Books are parts of our lives in
almost every phase. Reading or seeing
the books, bought in our childhood
evokes a sense of nostalgia. Reading a
book after several years of the first
reading often recreates the memory of
that past time.
Paper books do not get replaced by
e-books, because paper books are parts
of the experience which you cannot
reproduce with the digital version.
Though today even writers are not
comfortable in writing with pen and
paper, they also prefer the digital
version of writing.
The “real books” vs. “e-books”
debate may run for eternity. And, like
other types of media, books may also
keep changing formats. But for books, there are
good reasons to prefer the old medium. Paper
books don’t need electricity. You can resell them
or give them away without sparking a battle
over copyright infringement. They can suffer a
coffee spill without completely crapping out. It
is impossible to get distracted by pop-up emails
and other apps while reading a paper book.
Paper books can’t disappear from your library
due to company policy, technical malfunction,
or technology obsolescence. And no matter how
handy an e-book is, it cannot be a part of your
emotional life and perhaps can never evoke the
sentimental memories of past for you.
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